During French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the United States this week, First ladies Jill Biden and Brigitte Macron visited the Planet Word museum – an immersive experience dedicated to language arts – where they and a group of students took in a bilingual poetry reading that included the national poet laureate and former national student poet.
What You Need To Know
- First ladies Jill Biden and Brigitte Macron visited the Planet Word museum on Thursday during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the United States
- The two first ladies, both lifelong educators, and a group of students took in a bilingual poetry reading that included Maya Salameh, the former National Student Poet, and Ada Limòn, the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States
- The Planet Word museum, opened in 2020, bills itself as the “only museum in the country dedicated to renewing and inspiring a love of words and language”
The two first ladies are both lifelong educators and have bonded over their passion for advancing education; Dr. Biden is a professor in the English department at Northern Virginia Community College.
“I know we both share a love and lifelong commitment to education. This really means a lot,” Mrs. Macron said. “We are friends. We are friends.”
Washington, D.C.-area middle school students enrolled in a French immersion educational program joined the first ladies.
“It is so great to be here,” Dr. Biden said Thursday. “I’m so glad that you came and met the poets. It’s just so great that students like poetry, it really speaks to my heart.”
The event focused on a bilingual poetry reading performed by Maya Salameh, the former National Student Poet, and Ada Limòn, the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States. At the program, the two poets took turns reading original poetry that highlighted the beauty of language both in English and French.
“Stuck like a bum star, never coming close, never dazzling,” Limón recited.
Salameh joined her, reciting the same poem in French.
The Planet Word museum, opened in 2020, bills itself as the “only museum in the country dedicated to renewing and inspiring a love of words and language.”
